NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Things are building in Brainerd.

There is a new energy at Brainerd International Raceway as teams position themselves to capture every point, every advantage, and every bit of attention available on the road to the Countdown to the Championship.

After a three-week summer break, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returned with a sense of freshness Friday. The racers are rested, reengaged, and ready for more. Across the professional pits, teams are working to construct the kind of championship-seeking pace that can carry them through the closing stretch of the regular season and into the Countdown.

The fans filling the grandstands at Brainerd International Raceway today can feel that energy building—and so will you.

Qualifying continues today with two more opportunities for Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock teams to improve their positions. With favorable weather and track conditions expected, none of Friday’s leading performances should be considered secure. The best elapsed times from the opening two sessions are vulnerable, and the race for the No. 1 qualifying positions could become one of Saturday’s biggest stories.

In Top Fuel, reigning world champion Doug Kalitta established the early standard with a strong 3.705-second pass at 340.30 mph. Kalitta, last year’s Brainerd winner, enters Saturday with a two-hundredths-of-a-second advantage over Maddi Gordon, who delivered one of Friday’s most impressive performances with a 3.725 at 336.15 mph to claim the provisional No. 2 position.

Shawn Langdon sits third with a 3.731, followed by Justin Ashley’s 3.743 and Billy Torrence’s 3.754. Antron Brown, Tony Stewart, and Leah Pruett occupy positions six through eight, but Saturday’s conditions could create an opportunity for the entire upper half of the field to move forward.

Kalitta’s 3.705 is quick, but it may not be untouchable. Watch for the leading teams to press harder as they pursue qualifying bonus points and a better position on Sunday’s eliminations ladder. Also watch the bottom half of the order, where several championship-caliber teams—including Tony Schumacher and Josh Hart—will be looking for complete runs after failing to show their full potential Friday.

Austin Prock once again leads the Funny Car field after powering to a 3.893 at 329.91 mph. The reigning world champion was the only driver to break into the 3.80s, but Jack Beckman is close behind after recording a 3.903 at 324.67 mph.

Dave Richards delivered a strong 3.924 to hold third, while Alexis DeJoria’s 3.927 and Ron Capps’ 3.930 placed them fourth and fifth. Matt Hagan, Daniel Wilkerson, and Chad Green round out the top eight.

Prock has been the category’s benchmark, but Saturday may give Beckman, Richards, DeJoria, Capps, and Hagan the conditions necessary to close the gap. With just .037-second separating Prock from fifth-place Capps, one exceptional run could dramatically reshape the top of the order.

Pro Stock produced Friday’s tightest fight. Matt Latino claimed the provisional No. 1 position with a 6.588 at 207.21 mph, but Dallas Glenn also ran 6.588, leaving the top two separated by additional decimal places beyond the displayed thousandth. Cody Anderson is only one thousandth behind at 6.589, followed by Greg Stanfield at 6.590 and Greg Anderson at 6.591.

The first six drivers are separated by only four thousandths of a second, making Pro Stock’s Saturday sessions especially important. Eric Latino sits sixth with a 6.592, while Chris Vang and Deric Kramer are also within striking distance.

There is pressure at the other end of the field, too. Troy Coughlin Jr. currently occupies the No. 16 position with a 6.621, leaving Alan Prusiensky and Joseph Wilczek on the outside looking in.

Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge

Saturday qualifying will also feature the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, bringing an added layer of competition to the final two sessions. 

In Top Fuel, Leah Pruett will face Josh Hart, while provisional No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta takes on Antron Brown. 

Funny Car features Matt Hagan against J.R. Todd and a heavyweight matchup between Jack Beckman and provisional leader Austin Prock. 

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn meets Greg Stanfield, while Greg Anderson squares off with longtime rival Erica Enders. 

The opening rematches from the Seattle semifinals will take place during Q3, with the winners returning in Q4 to race for the Challenge title, bonus money, and valuable championship points that will be added when the Countdown begins.

Top Fuel

• Leah Pruett vs. Josh Hart
• Doug Kalitta vs. Antron Brown

Funny Car

• Matt Hagan vs. J.R. Todd
• Jack Beckman vs. Austin Prock

Pro Stock

• Dallas Glenn vs. Greg Stanfield
• Greg Anderson vs. Erica Enders

The opening matchups take place during Q3 at noon, with the winners meeting during Q4 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Challenge awards bonus money and championship points that are added when the Countdown begins. NHRA’s Seattle semifinal results confirm the fields.

Friday established the contenders. Saturday will reveal who has found the pace to attack—and who is truly ready to begin building a championship.

2025 EVENT WINNERS

Top Fuel Doug Kalitta; Funny Car Austin Prock; Pro Stock Greg Anderson

MOST VICTORIES: (active drivers)

Doug Kalitta and Tony Schumacher, 3, TF; Ron Capps, 7, FC; Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin, 4.

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.640 sec. by Leah Pruett, Aug. ’17; 341.25 mph by Brittany Force, Aug. ‘25. 

Funny Car – 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight Aug. ’17; 338.00 mph by R. Hight, Aug. ’17. 

Pro Stock - 6.521 seconds by Greg Anderson, Aug. '25; 211.39 mph by Shane Gray, Aug. '15.

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ‘26, Valdosta, Ga. 

Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona, Calif. 

Pro Stock - 6.4443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March '25, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Enders, May '14, Englishtown N.J.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, Aug. 21 LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 9:00 a.m. NHRA MISSION FOODS SERIES qualifying at 3:30 and 6:00 p.m. 

SATURDAY, Aug. 22 LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 9:00 a.m. NHRA MISSION FOODS SERIES qualifying at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. 

SUNDAY, Aug. 23 Pre-race ceremonies, 9:30 a.m. NHRA MISSION FOODS SERIES eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION

Friday, Aug. 21, FS1 will televise one and-a-half hours of qualifying coverage at 11 p.m. (ET). 

Saturday, Aug.22, FS1 will televise one and-a-half hours of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET). 

Sunday, Aug. 23, FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

TICKETS

To purchase tickets to the NHRA Brainerd Nationals, fans can visit NHRA.com